With 25 invited guests and 20 filmmakers attending in competition, the 6^th Annual South Georgia Film Festival is bringing more of the industry to Valdosta that ever before. Award winning filmmakers and regional professionals coming to this year’s festival make for a great weekend for everyone. Drawing films from around the world, over 20 filmmakers will be in attendance during this weekend’s screenings.

“Valdosta deserves to meet people who are making this industry happen,” said Jason Brown, SGFF Festival Director. “Along with up-and-coming filmmakers, it’s important that we bring seasoned professionals. While they share their work with us, we want to also share our community with them.”

Friday kicks off at 12:15 pm with Valdosta State University alum Myles Grier discussing his challenges and accomplishments as an actor and filmmaker with VSU Professor Ian Anderson. Peach State Summer Theater is sponsoring Grier to screen a short film he recently produced. At 3 pm, the VSU Alumni Panel sponsored by the Valdosta Mall will feature more graduates who have moved into various areas of the media industry including Saige Ashe, John Brown, Olivia Gregory, Ray Hannah, and Frank Amoroso with Marvel Studios.

Award winning filmmaker Daresha Kyi will be talking about her upcoming documentary, “Black Voters Matter”, at 1 pm with Dr. Andrew Opel of Florida State University. Kyi recently won a grant from the Southern Documentary Fund to complete her film focused on two Georgia organizers who worked to increase voting participation in the African American community. Kyi is a part of the Work-in-Progress series, which previously included Lagueria Davis and her film “Black Barbie.”

Saturday’s panels kick off with two women entrepreneurs building production space in their communities. Chatejah George is a 23-year-old actress, model, filmmakers, and studio mogul. When George wasn’t seeing the opportunities she wanted, she created them herself by building the C&C Movie Film Studio in Atlanta. Hosting the panel will be Honnie Korngold of South Georgia Studios and Film Academy, which is established in Brooks County and continues to build its physical location.

Carrie and Alan Tupper are co-creators of the sci-fi comic Kamikaze. Along with crowdfunding graphic novels of their web series, they recently were able to crowdfund and produce an animated short – Kamikaze: Trial by Fire. Along with Kamikaze, Carrie writes and produces comics and has written for The Mary Sue. Alan has production credits for Hulu, PBS, IFC, FOX, and FX.

Film Impact Georgia, represented by Melissa Simpson and Charles Judson, will be discussing Grants and Fundraising for your project. Film Impact Georgia has distributed nearly $100,000 in grants to filmmakers across Georgia in support of native filmmakers.

David Smith of Columbia State University in Nashville will give a presentation called “Breaking Into the Film Industry – a Practical Guide for Students and Academic Programs.” Smith is the Program Director of the Film Crew Technology Program at Columbia State.

Thursday night will provide an introductory event for passholders and the community at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, to preview trailers for that weekend’s films. Friday will conclude with our annual kickoff party at Georgia Beer Company. Saturday night will feature an outdoor screening on the lawn behind the VSU College of the Arts of the Sundance award winning film “Coda.” Films will be screened in the Valdosta State University Student Union Friday through Sunday, while the virtual platform will be available March 1 through March 10.

Passes for the festival are $40, which includes access to all the virtual films, the in-person screenings, and the parties. If you’re not able to attend all weekend, you can purchase a Daily Pass for $15, which gives you access to all the in-person screenings and panels for that day. The Eventive platform allows you to rent any individual film for only $5. All college and high school students can get in to the screenings and panels for free by providing their school ID. Our VIP Pass gives patrons access to the festival Green Room with filmmakers along with a festival shirt.

This year’s festival could not happen without the support of our community sponsors, including Georgia Power, Valdosta State University, South Georgia Studios and Film Academy, the City of Valdosta, the Georgia Film Office, Georgia Beer Company, the Valdosta Mall, the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority, the Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta Main Street, the Valdosta Daily Times, Georgia Production Partnership, Fairway Outdoor, and MUBI.

For more information on the South Georgia Film Festival, visit SouthGeorgiaFilm.com or contact Prof. Jason Brown at 229-219-1298 or [email protected].